“You ungrateful bitch!” he snarls, lunging forward against the restraint of the bailiffs. “After everything I did for you! You think you’re free of me? I made you what you are!”
The courtroom erupts in shocked murmurs. The judge bangs her gavel, demanding order, but Pike continues his tirade.
“You’re nothing without me! Nothing! Just like your whore mother!”
Dom moves swiftly to Cora’s side, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. I watch as he pulls her against his chest, his body forming a shield between her and her father’s venom. It’s the perfect picture of a supportive boyfriend—exactly what the watching press will expect to see.
What they can’t see is how my own hands clench into fists at my sides, the urge to comfort her myself a physical ache. But I maintain our façade, exchanging a carefully moderated look of concern with Ryder.
“Get him out of here!” the judge orders.
As the bailiffs drag Pike toward the side door, still spewing vitriol, I watch Cora’s expression. Her face remains composed, chin lifted—the perfect picture of dignity in contrast to her father’s unraveling.
Dom’s fingers tighten on her shoulder, and I catch the subtle way he whispers something in her ear that makes her stand even taller.
The courthouse steps are crowded with reporters shouting questions, but our security team creates a path to the waiting SUV. Dom guides Cora through the chaos with his arm still protectively around her shoulders while Ryder and I follow slightly behind, maintaining our separate-couple façade until the tinted windows shield us from public view.
The moment the door closes, Cora collapses against the leather seat with a shaky exhale. We’re all silent as the car pullsaway from the curb—the gravity of what just happened settling over us.
“It’s over,” she finally whispers, tears glistening in her eyes. “He can’t hurt me anymore.”
Without hesitation, I reach for her hand across the seat. “You were incredible in there.”
“Fucking magnificent,” Ryder agrees.
Dom says nothing, but his expression speaks volumes.
The tension that’s been building for weeks suddenly lifts, and a wild, relieved laughter bubbles out of Cora. It’s contagious. Soon, all four of us are laughing—a release of stress, fear, and uncertainty.
“You did it,” Dom says, squeezing Cora’s shoulder.
Cora shakes her head. “No, we did it. Together.”
She leans across and kisses me—soft and sweet, filled with gratitude and something deeper. When she pulls back, her smile is radiant.
She turns to kiss Ryder next, then Dom, each touch of her lips a silentthank you. The intimacy of the moment catches in my chest. Then Ryder reaches for my hand, pulls me toward him for a gentle kiss that has nothing to do with desire and everything to do with connection.
The four of us exchange these tender kisses for a few minutes.
“Let’s order obscene amounts of takeout when we get home,” Ryder suggests, his arm draped around my shoulders. “Watch terrible movies and just... be together.”
“Blanket fort in the living room?” Cora asks hopefully.
I glance at Dom, expecting his usual resistance to such childish ideas.
“Sounds perfect,” he says, surprising me with the gentle sincerity in his voice. “Absolutely perfect.”
50
EPILOGUE
RYDER
Ican’t stop grinning at the news headline on my phone: “Mayor William Pike Denied Bail, Awaits Trial on Multiple Charges.” The accompanying photo shows him being led away in handcuffs.
I look up from my phone to find Cora sitting quietly on the sectional, staring out the window at the city skyline. Despite our victory, there’s something subdued about her. I slide next to her, my hand finding hers.
“You okay, princess?” I ask, my thumb tracing circles on her palm.
